{World's Prettiest Roses by Janny}

Already twice before, I did do a post about the incredibly talented Janny who lives in France. Definately the World's Prettiest Roses by Janny. On August 31, while we were in The Netherlands, she was published in the renowned Dutch paper De Telegraaf. I've also made screen shots from the article in both English and Dutch and will post it here below. Janny van der Vliet's blog, Paper Roses Old Style you can find here. Don't forget to take her button with you and join her beautiful blog with Google Friend Connect. She did start her English blog, besides her French version. This is something not to be missed! Her roses are available for sale and if you see my post below about La Vie en Rose - MERCI Janny! you can see how gorgeous her roses are. Great for decorating, even for Christmas, as her last post is all about. She did a lovely paper roses wreath for Christmas. Read here: ROZEN VAN PAPIER. Congrats Janny!

English translation

Original Dutch version

English

Original Dutch version

English version

Original Dutch version

Related articles:

{LOOK who's in the French Style of May/June 2011} | previous post by me
{La Vie en Rose - MERCI Janny!} | previous post by me

{Our Different Oaks}

We do have several varieties of oaks and also several evergreen 'Live Oaks'. Of course the main reason is to extend the 'green' season. After having worked and lived in the tropics for several years, we have a hard time for not having 'green' leaves around us during winter. So in our garden we do have evergreens. Let me introduce you first to the very special 'Golden Live Oak': our Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold.

• This photo is taken on April 13 and shown is the golden live oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' which is an evergreen variety and behind it is a huge oak tree that already was on the property when we came here.
• Our feline girls Sacha (l) and Spicy love to rest in the shade of this golden live oak!

• This 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' is spectacular in the spring but it maintains its golden touches throughout the year.
• A slow grower and therefore not as tall as other live oaks.

• From our balcony the garden looks tropical as we view all evergreens!

• Also from the balcony you see another huge oak tree which is to the right of the bridge over the creek. Not evergreen.
• We dug it up years ago as a small tree alongside the road when we were walking. We liked its huge oak leaves. It did reward us by growing into a happy and majestic oak tree.

• The end of June, there is less gold on our Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold, but still pretty!

• The middle bridge over the creek is visible here... We can walk the trail into our wood garden.

• End of June, to the right the golden oak and to the left the huge oak near the creek.

• End of June, now with the bridge in view again.

• Near our pond is another huge semi-evergreen oak. No lack of water for this tree, so it is in heaven, even with a hot dry summer. Our pond is being fed by and underground spring so it is always full. This is on October 9.

• This is on November 7, from across the pond showing the entire oak tree. Quite a monument!

• This is also November 7, showing our Scarlet Oak from October 19, 1992. We bought it for its Scarlet red autumn color.
• It's name is Quercus Shumardii - Shumard's Scarlet Oak.

• On November 26, I took this photo but there is a lot less Scarlet than other years due to the extreme hot and dry summer. The leaves will drop before reaching that stunning Scarlet stage... Through the trees you can see two neighbor homes.

• Zooming in on the Scarlet leaves, this is all I can show you for 2011. We have to wait till 2012 to see more Scarlet red...
• You all do know Scarlet O'Hara from Gone with the Wind I bet!
• Well, in a way, these leaves are also gone with the wind... off too soon because they were dry.

Hope you enjoyed our different oaks!

Related links:
Wow...I think this deserves a thread! Golden live oak! | GardenWeb discussion...
{Lush Green Garden} |previous post by me
{# 1111 - Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' changing color} | previous post by me
{Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' in Sunshine at its BEST} | previous post by me
{Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' with Catkins} | Previous post by me
{Our Mrs. G. G. GERBING Azaleas} | previous post by me
{Our Patio Tiles in the Front} | previous post by me
{RARE Icicles in Our Garden} | previous post by me
{Energy Efficient GREEN Roofing Arrived} | previous post by me
{My Powder Blue Escada Jeans Suit} | previous post by me showing me in front of Grand View Gold
{Our Lovely Lilac Clematis 'Silver Moon'} | previous post by me showing young Grand View Gold

{Cloudy Day versus Sunny Day}| Previous post by me
{Blooms on our Windmill Palm - Trachycarpus fortunei} | previoius post by me 

{Our Golden Live Oak has LOTS of Acorns!} | previous post by me

{My Silk Quilted Vest Creation and YOUR Opinion Requested...} | previous post by me showing golden oak

{Our Live Oak got a Haircut}| previous post by me

{Our Sky Pencils - Ilex crenata Japanese holly}

• On August 20, my husband Pieter planted these Sky Pencils - Ilex crenata Japanese holly. The pots came from Home Depot and are frost proof. Just have a look at these Sky Pencils...

• Under each pot is a large tile for placing them. Shown also all the balusters, posts and ginger bread from Vintage Woodworks, Texas. Wreath with some real green.

• Of course we did baby them during the extreme heat!

• Yes, still on November 12, you see the stark contrast between shade and sunshine, even close to 5:00 PM.
• These pots were in the shade most of the day, as they're on the north side towards the road.

The Ginger Bread from Vintage Woodworks resembles lace work in wood...

• This was taken on November 12 and you can see the fall colors. 
• The oak tree in front of the house (top right) has lost most of its leaves already...

• To the left of the house is another huge oak tree.
• Some of the prostrate gardenias did bloom again in November, after the hot and dry summer.
• Do you keep  evergreens in pots as well?

{Our Juglans Nigra - Eastern Black Walnut}

Having such a vast garden as we have, does give many surprises too. This year we did discover for the very first time big round 'nuts' on the ground near the creek, beside our greenhouse. Asking some friends they turned out to be 'Juglans Nigra - Eastern Black Walnuts'. A bit messy for taking them out of their shell but they are supposed to be delicious. This special find I want to share with you. Obvious such a tree needs to have a certain age before bearing nuts. It is quite tall, rather slender and thus hard to spot the nuts hanging on the limbs.

One Juglans Nigra - Eastern Black Walnut is still left in its hull, the others are bare but not yet dry...

As said, a tall tree already. I did read about Black Walnut that they only start producing well at the age of 20 years. The few nuts they  produced from age 4-6 might have been taken by the squirrels before we ever knew we had some...

The top right shows the Juglans Nigra - Eastern Black Walnut on November 7.

This is our harvest from November 15...

With and without hull...

One black walnut up close...

11 days later they did dry up a lot. This photo was taken on November 26.

Do you have any walnuts?

{Clothing around 1850 - Museum de Kantfabriek}

On September 13, I did visit in my birth city of Horst, The Netherlands, Museum de Kantfabriek or the Lace Factory Museum. It was quite interesting to look how clothing around 1850 looked. White starched linen detachable collars for men, that got attached with special collar studs through button holes. Click: Victorian Period Linen, Cotton, Linene and Celluloid Detachable Collars to see such Victorian  pieces and scrolling further down, shows you also the collar and shirt studs. What a different world then!

To the right you see the detachable collars with the collar studs.

Above is a white silk shawl that was worn with the cylinder hat.

To the right of the white silk shawl is a gray jacquard ascot.

Does anyone of you still have such Victorian items?

Hand embroidery and lace was used to embellish the 'Trouseau' which was mainly worked in pure linen.

Do you still have some heirloom pieces of linen?

Museum de Kantfabriek Horst aan de Maas | video on Youtube 

{My 12th Blog Award}

On November 15, I did receive a 'Best Blog' Award from Veronica, in Spain. THANK YOU VERY MUCH VERONICA!

Veronica has a very lively blog with great photos, called: Los Mundos de Nika Vintage. Showing the most precious vintage and antique items, interlaced with her incredible garden. A joy to visit her and she also can be found on FB with her Page: BookAntic - Libros Antiguos. Quite refreshing to see her items. Don't forget to pay her a visit.

Okay, it's time for passing this bouquet on to others who's blogs I do enjoy tremendously.

Julie Marie from Idyllhours and by the way, I'd love to find out how one can be spending some IDLE hours... For me the time is always gone before I manage to do all I WANT to do. Do you have that kind of problem too?

Lene from THE GREEN GARDEN GATE with her beautiful Norwegian blog. You have to see her inspirational Christmas Decorations.

Bea from Modern Country Lady who is such an incredible talented lady! Check her out and don't forget to follow her. Scroll down for finding her Google Friend Connect.

That's it!

{Happy Thanksgiving - From Pilgrim to President}

Happy Thanksgiving to all American readers!

Hope it is a meaningful day, for you and your loved ones, reflecting on all the things we truly have to be thankful for. Some 400 years ago, life was not the way as we know it now... Therefore we should not take for granted what we have, our freedom and an abundance of food.  

Thanksgiving Day: Pilgrims were a surprisingly worldly, tolerant lot

Pilgrims who braved the Mayflower were profoundly shaped by their 11 years in Leiden, Netherlands, where they arrived 402 years ago this year. Deeply devout, they were also some of the most tolerant among Puritan groups who headed to the new world. Read more from source here: Thanksgiving Day: Pilgrims were a surprisingly worldly, tolerant lot

FROM PILGRIM TO PRESIDENT

Some interesting information for reading at the Pilgrims Archives, Leiden The Netherlands.

ORIGINS

Leiden, City of Refugees

Where did the Pilgrims come from?

STAY IN LEIDEN

The Pilgrims in Leiden

DEPARTURE FOR AMERICA

Departure for the 'New World'

LEIDEN IN THE US
From 3rd of October to Thanksgiving
Civil Marriage

Elected government

PILGRIM PRESIDENTS

Nine times from Pilgrim to President - read: From Leiden Pilgrim to American president

Obama Bush Related? video

Mayflower 400 Leiden a video about just to better understand where those Pilgrims stayed for twelve years before coming to America.

Read more awesome stories about LIFE IN LEIDEN 

History: The Pilgrims Journey Documentary video

{Post # 484 and my blog is 2 years old today!}

Today marks a very special day as on November 23 of 2009 I did launch my first blog-post about {Romancing the Home}.

At that time I was very sick, in excruciating pain and could not even get to my PC... Only a second blog-post I launched on December 13, 2009 showing our blooming {Fragrant Paperwhite Narcissus flowers in early December}. Together with a reply to Johanna Gehrlein about her question.

By the end of the year I was walking on crutches...

On January 9 of 2010, I was in the hospital being almost totally paralyzed with very high fever that they couldn't knock down at first.

It was on January 11, that I cried in my hospital bed; on the birthday of my still born sister 'Mariet' who would have been almost 13 months older than I am.

I told her that I was NOT yet ready to see her in heaven...

After four days in the hospital they put me on Prednisone and the pain went away.

Again I could MOVE! What a joy.

Being diagnosed with a very rare auto immune disease, I was now on the mend!

♥

For my sister Mariet, trying to live for her as well, I've added 'TE' behind my name.

♥♥

That's the story behind my blog's name: Mariette's Back to Basics.

Anyway, most people here in the US had difficulties pronouncing Mariet, so this works well.

~~0~~

GREAT NEWS...

As of today, I no longer need to take Prednisone!

Had my check up yesterday and things just looked fine.

Now, let's have a look at last year and this year.

Post # 148 I wrote last year on November 23.

Post # 484 is today's...

6,544 Visits came from 74 countries/territories on November 23 last year.

40,701 visits came from 146 countries/territories since last year; almost double the countries and more than 6 x as many visits.

On July 10, 2011 I did put the Flag Counter on my blog and since than it shows 138 countries.

Thank YOU for all the visits from so many countries!

Thank YOU for all the comments!

Thank YOU all 281 followers!

Looking forward to the next Blog Anniversary...

 

Related links: 

{Post # 148 and my blog is 1 year old today!} | previous post by me
{THANKS to 166 Followers from 113 Countries!} | previous post by me

{ROSES}

Just a short post with some photos taken by Pieter on October 25 with our Canary Island Date Palm. All of you know for sure that I LOVE roses and angels... So these photos are part of that love. Usually I don't like to wear anything red but the ROSES did change my mind in a hurry.

Escada silk blouse with Escada wool stretch skirt. Charles Jourdan "1921" shoes. Wolford Individual 10 soft control top panty.  Always do I call in: Wolford  @ Woodbury Commons Premium Outlet, Central Valley, NY  1-845-928-5818 for a great discount!

When we used to work as consultants in Connecticut we would drive to the Woodbury Commons Premium Outlet and shop there. 

There now also is a Wolford Outlet at Sawgrass Mills Outlets - 1700 Sawgrass Mills Circle -  33323 Sunrise, FL 

They also do have an Escada Company Store in Central Valley, NY and at Sawgrass Mills!

Learn from Mariette about YOUR CLOTHES, ONLY BETTER!

Here you also see the Eco Friendly Tree Ring around our Canary Island Date Palm.

Our verbena is still blooming here!

Escada wool cardigan with roses and the same, but larger, buttons than the blouse has.

Color, style, fit and more! Sure I can help you restyle your existing wardrobe to create a fresh, new

look that's right for you. For that, I will peruse your existing wardrobe and suggest ways to alter

selected garments for a better, more flattering fit. It will also provide personal shopping advice, giving

tips on shopping with thrift and quality in mind.

Wool starts feeling good again...

Do you have a favorite flower too?

Related articles:
{Our Canary Island Date Palm + Eco Friendly Tree Ring} | previous post by me
Wolford Fashion | FB Page link